Hello my name is Shannon! I teach the intergrated preschool program at the Page School in West Newbury. I grew up in and currently live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire about 3 miles from the beach. The ocean and the beach have always been a big part of my life. Throughout my childhood I enjoyed swimming in the ocean, exploring the rocky coast and playing in the sand. Today I continue to enjoy those same things with my 2 children Shea(5) and Ryen(2). We also vacation to St. Pete Beach every year where we enjoy the Gulf of Mexico. While in Florida we collect shells and watch for manatee, dolphins, and jellyfish. In preshool we teach through themes and our ocean theme is always a favorite. I'm looking forward to learning more about the ocean and adding some more activities and details to my unit. *my picture does not seem to be loading...sorry about that!
Today's introduction to ocean literacy was an interesting one because it opened my eyes to what ocean literacy really means. I understand now that it is not just the study of the ocean, but how we interact with the ocean, how the ocean interacts with us, and how the ocean truly can shape a community. I enjoyed the trip to Cushing Museum, where we were able to see first hand how Newburyport's rich history has the ocean and it's water ways to thank for it's prosperity. Although I found much of the museum tour interesting, I was most intrigued by the architecture and it's beautiful furnishings. What works of art and a step back in time! I loved hearing the personal stories that go with the prim and proper portraits hanging on the walls. I've worked in West Newbury for 15 years now and am embarrased to say I didn't even know this museum existed....what a wonderful treasure the city has!
With that in mind, the ocean literacy principles that resonated most with me today was the 6th one; The ocean and humans are inextricably linked. Clearly this is evident in Newburyport as well as the many other seaport towns around the world. I think until today I thought of this as more of an enviornmental principle (i.e. clean up your beaches & keep the ocean clean). I know understand it to be more powerful. People rely on oceans for their food, their jobs, their leisure activities, and their overall community development and productivity. It's amazing to think of what truly rich histories towns like Newburyport and Portsmouth have because of their working ports and waters edge. I look forward to emphasizing this principle more during my ocean units and all year round.
I can't wait for a fun and busy day tomorrow!
April 9, 2011
What an unbelievable day on beautiful Plum Island. Being a new hampshirite, I'm embarrassed to admit I have never explored Plum Island (except for maybe the Plum island Grill). I teach in West Newbury September - June and then I retreat to the New Hampshire and Maine coasts for July and August. What an impressive and massive piece of undisturbed ocean front land. It was fascinating to hear the geological history of this barrier island. A barrier island is an island that takes the brunt of all weather and protects what is behind it. I don't think I had ever stopped to wonder what these beaches used to be, or how they have evolved into what we know today. I was amazed to hear about both the granite and garnet sand that found it's way to Plum Island. I enjoyed exploring the rocky coast and tidepools. For some reason I have always been and continue to be drawn to the simple periwinkle; it's spiral design and array of colors intrigues me. We observed mussels, crabs, horseshoe crabs, and baby shrimp. I loved the hike through the dunes and quiet time spent on the beautiful "boat beach". Those 10 minutes of "sit spot" on that comfy sand, under that warm sun felt like a little slice of heaven for this preschool teacher of 32 and mom of 2 little ones....that was worth the price of admission for me! How fascinating it was to hear of that part of the beach's history. To think that 100 years ago there were cottages and even a hotel....unbelievable! Throughout the hike we explored tracks of coyotes, fisher cats, and deer. The sand dunes are beautiful in themselves, but the heather, liken, and grasses make the landscape complete. I'm very thankful for both Gary and Rob's wealth of knowledge as well as their excitement to share their innate love of the ocean and it's shore. I also would like to thank jack and Cody for coming along; they were a constant reminder to me of why we were there! How wonderful to watch young children learn about the ocean and it's shore through the most authentic way: play! Music to an early childhood teacher's heart!!!!!!!!!
After taking all that in today, I sit here wondering what does all of this mean for me and my teaching? My preschoolers don't go on fieldtrips, so how do i go about bringing plum island to them? What do I add to my ocean unit and what do I delete? I go back to Jack and Cody.....let them play...with sand, with ocean water, with shells, with rocks!!! Playing is learning!
April 10, 2011
Today was a fascinating day for me; I had never been to Spencer Pierce Little Farm, Oakhill Cemetary or Lowell's Boat Shop before. Each venue was unique, educational, and inspiring in it's own way. I was amazed to see first hand how powerful the Merrimack River is physically and also how powerful it has been in shaping not only Newburyport but it's surrounding towns. None of these towns would be what they are today without this river.
The Spencer Pierce Little Farm and it's vast land was both beauiful and overwhelming. I can't imagine the amount of hard work and dedication it took to keep that property up and running. Our walk through Oakhill Cemetary with Ghlee Woodworth was beautiful, sad, and inspiring all at the same time. The property and monuments were beautiful, the stories on the gravesites were heart wrenching, and the work Ghlee does daily was nothing short of inspirational. How lucky Newburyport is to have a woman with such passion, knowledge, and energy for an often overlooked town treasure. Our last trip of the day took us to Lowell's Boat Shop in Amesbury. We talked on the first night about learning through our senses; I took one step into that workshop and was immediately transported back to my father's and grandfather's workshop. The smell of the sawdust, the creek of the boards, and the feel of the uneven paint covered floor was enough for me to know that there were amazing things being built in that shop. What a wonderful day!
Today I was reminded of our opening day visit to the Cushing House Museum, where we discussed in great detail the agriculturalists and the merchants. Friday we were able to see specifically how the merchants lived (the home, the china, the furniture, etc.). This morning we got a glimpse into the life of an agriculturist - a more humble yet equally grand way of living.
Newburyport has benefitted greatly from it's proximity to the sea - economically, socially, and artistically. The trade, boating, fishing, and construction/real estate industries have all thrived alongside the great Merrimac. The people living along the Merrimac have also reaped the benefits of the river. This area of the country brought educated settlers in search of business. Along with education, came wealth; along with wealth, came art; and along with art, came culture. All of these activites and industries have helped to shape the coastline today. This coastline has evolved into a destination for both work and leisure. It is clear that as far back as 1630, humans saw this coastline as someplace special; someplace they could make a business thrive, they could raise a family, and they could build community. It is amazing to me that almost 400 years later, the Newburyport area continues to draw people for these same purposes.
Creating history lessons in preschool is a little tricky. Developmentally, they are still trying to figure out the difference between yesterday and tomorrow; nevermind 200 years ago. I have found that embedding mini history lessons (and artifacts) into daily routines work well with the 3-5 age group. Another way to bring history in to the early childhood classroom is through children's literature (i.e. Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel). Based on today's tours, I would most likely develop a history lesson around the farm (how were farms different & how are they the same). Presenting the kids with real life artifacts to compare and contrast would be interesting and fun for them (i.e. the pig hair toothbrush).
April 7, 2011
Hello my name is Shannon! I teach the intergrated preschool program at the Page School in West Newbury. I grew up in and currently live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire about 3 miles from the beach. The ocean and the beach have always been a big part of my life. Throughout my childhood I enjoyed swimming in the ocean, exploring the rocky coast and playing in the sand. Today I continue to enjoy those same things with my 2 children Shea(5) and Ryen(2). We also vacation to St. Pete Beach every year where we enjoy the Gulf of Mexico. While in Florida we collect shells and watch for manatee, dolphins, and jellyfish. In preshool we teach through themes and our ocean theme is always a favorite. I'm looking forward to learning more about the ocean and adding some more activities and details to my unit. *my picture does not seem to be loading...sorry about that!
April 8, 2011
Today's introduction to ocean literacy was an interesting one because it opened my eyes to what ocean literacy really means. I understand now that it is not just the study of the ocean, but how we interact with the ocean, how the ocean interacts with us, and how the ocean truly can shape a community. I enjoyed the trip to Cushing Museum, where we were able to see first hand how Newburyport's rich history has the ocean and it's water ways to thank for it's prosperity. Although I found much of the museum tour interesting, I was most intrigued by the architecture and it's beautiful furnishings. What works of art and a step back in time! I loved hearing the personal stories that go with the prim and proper portraits hanging on the walls. I've worked in West Newbury for 15 years now and am embarrased to say I didn't even know this museum existed....what a wonderful treasure the city has!
With that in mind, the ocean literacy principles that resonated most with me today was the 6th one; The ocean and humans are inextricably linked. Clearly this is evident in Newburyport as well as the many other seaport towns around the world. I think until today I thought of this as more of an enviornmental principle (i.e. clean up your beaches & keep the ocean clean). I know understand it to be more powerful. People rely on oceans for their food, their jobs, their leisure activities, and their overall community development and productivity. It's amazing to think of what truly rich histories towns like Newburyport and Portsmouth have because of their working ports and waters edge. I look forward to emphasizing this principle more during my ocean units and all year round.
I can't wait for a fun and busy day tomorrow!
April 9, 2011
What an unbelievable day on beautiful Plum Island. Being a new hampshirite, I'm embarrassed to admit I have never explored Plum Island (except for maybe the Plum island Grill). I teach in West Newbury September - June and then I retreat to the New Hampshire and Maine coasts for July and August. What an impressive and massive piece of undisturbed ocean front land. It was fascinating to hear the geological history of this barrier island. A barrier island is an island that takes the brunt of all weather and protects what is behind it. I don't think I had ever stopped to wonder what these beaches used to be, or how they have evolved into what we know today. I was amazed to hear about both the granite and garnet sand that found it's way to Plum Island. I enjoyed exploring the rocky coast and tidepools. For some reason I have always been and continue to be drawn to the simple periwinkle; it's spiral design and array of colors intrigues me. We observed mussels, crabs, horseshoe crabs, and baby shrimp.
I loved the hike through the dunes and quiet time spent on the beautiful "boat beach". Those 10 minutes of "sit spot" on that comfy sand, under that warm sun felt like a little slice of heaven for this preschool teacher of 32 and mom of 2 little ones....that was worth the price of admission for me! How fascinating it was to hear of that part of the beach's history. To think that 100 years ago there were cottages and even a hotel....unbelievable! Throughout the hike we explored tracks of coyotes, fisher cats, and deer. The sand dunes are beautiful in themselves, but the heather, liken, and grasses make the landscape complete. I'm very thankful for both Gary and Rob's wealth of knowledge as well as their excitement to share their innate love of the ocean and it's shore. I also would like to thank jack and Cody for coming along; they were a constant reminder to me of why we were there! How wonderful to watch young children learn about the ocean and it's shore through the most authentic way: play! Music to an early childhood teacher's heart!!!!!!!!!
After taking all that in today, I sit here wondering what does all of this mean for me and my teaching? My preschoolers don't go on fieldtrips, so how do i go about bringing plum island to them? What do I add to my ocean unit and what do I delete? I go back to Jack and Cody.....let them play...with sand, with ocean water, with shells, with rocks!!! Playing is learning!
April 10, 2011
Today was a fascinating day for me; I had never been to Spencer Pierce Little Farm, Oakhill Cemetary or Lowell's Boat Shop before. Each venue was unique, educational, and inspiring in it's own way. I was amazed to see first hand how powerful the Merrimack River is physically and also how powerful it has been in shaping not only Newburyport but it's surrounding towns. None of these towns would be what they are today without this river.
The Spencer Pierce Little Farm and it's vast land was both beauiful and overwhelming. I can't imagine the amount of hard work and dedication it took to keep that property up and running. Our walk through Oakhill Cemetary with Ghlee Woodworth was beautiful, sad, and inspiring all at the same time. The property and monuments were beautiful, the stories on the gravesites were heart wrenching, and the work Ghlee does daily was nothing short of inspirational. How lucky Newburyport is to have a woman with such passion, knowledge, and energy for an often overlooked town treasure. Our last trip of the day took us to Lowell's Boat Shop in Amesbury. We talked on the first night about learning through our senses; I took one step into that workshop and was immediately transported back to my father's and grandfather's workshop. The smell of the sawdust, the creek of the boards, and the feel of the uneven paint covered floor was enough for me to know that there were amazing things being built in that shop. What a wonderful day!
Today I was reminded of our opening day visit to the Cushing House Museum, where we discussed in great detail the agriculturalists and the merchants. Friday we were able to see specifically how the merchants lived (the home, the china, the furniture, etc.). This morning we got a glimpse into the life of an agriculturist - a more humble yet equally grand way of living.
Newburyport has benefitted greatly from it's proximity to the sea - economically, socially, and artistically. The trade, boating, fishing, and construction/real estate industries have all thrived alongside the great Merrimac. The people living along the Merrimac have also reaped the benefits of the river. This area of the country brought educated settlers in search of business. Along with education, came wealth; along with wealth, came art; and along with art, came culture. All of these activites and industries have helped to shape the coastline today. This coastline has evolved into a destination for both work and leisure. It is clear that as far back as 1630, humans saw this coastline as someplace special; someplace they could make a business thrive, they could raise a family, and they could build community. It is amazing to me that almost 400 years later, the Newburyport area continues to draw people for these same purposes.
Creating history lessons in preschool is a little tricky. Developmentally, they are still trying to figure out the difference between yesterday and tomorrow; nevermind 200 years ago. I have found that embedding mini history lessons (and artifacts) into daily routines work well with the 3-5 age group. Another way to bring history in to the early childhood classroom is through children's literature (i.e. Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel). Based on today's tours, I would most likely develop a history lesson around the farm (how were farms different & how are they the same). Presenting the kids with real life artifacts to compare and contrast would be interesting and fun for them (i.e. the pig hair toothbrush).
check out this article about Ghlee's book!!
http://www.wickedlocal.com/newburyport/fun/entertainment/arts/x1090815727/New-local-book-Tiptoe-Through-the-Tombstones-picks-up-three-awards#axzz1JGosyeFE
Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night!